Do Things In Big Way

Thirteen men with seven tractors, 3 teams, corn planters and manure spreaders, plowed and seeded about 30 acres of land on the Plymouth Presbyterian church property recently.  The church is located in the extreme northeast corner of Johnson township and Rev. W. E. Smith is the pastor.
The picture shows part of the crew who gather annually to do this work.

Left to right are:
George Gabel, John E. Siebens, Cloyd Gabel and the Rev. W. E. Smith.
The property consists of 40 acres in all, with the church, cemetery and manse taking up about 10 acres.

The seven tractors, plows, harrows, two planters and six horses used on the place that day represented about $10,000 in equipment.

The present church was built in 1930 at a cost of $14,000.  Rev. Mr. Smith has been pastor for the last nine years and stated that in his 23 years in the ministry, he has never seen such a splendid bunch of workers.  The men started at 8:30 in the morning and had the job completed by evening.  The church purchased the seed and next fall when the crop is harvested and sold, the proceeds will go into the treasury.

The church plans a big homecoming event on August 8.  It will be the 65th anniversary of the founding of the church.

Those taking part in the day's work are: Elmer Childs, A. J. Thomas, Foster Rowe, Harlan Rowe, Earl Love, George Bauerly, R. J. Stephens, George Gabel, Cloyd Gabel, Milton Atkinson, John E. Siebens, Henry Eilks and Rev. W. E. Smith.

LeMars Globe (LeMars, Plymouth County, Iowa) of 05/31/1937.


Farmers Put in Crop On Church Land in Johnson

Men of Plymouth Presbyterian Church At Crathorne Follow Yearly Custom

A dozen men with seven tractors, two corn planters, two manure spreaders and three teams of horses moved in on the forty acres of land owned by Plymouth Presbyterian church, on Friday, and by 6 o'clock that evening they had plowed, harrowed and planted nearly thirty of the forty acres to corn, besides hauling out several loads of fertilizer that had accumulated during the winter.

For several years the men of Plymouth church have followed this plan of farming their land on a cooperative basis.  In this manner all the income from the land goes into the church treasury.

The total value of the equipment used that day was not far from nine thousand dollars.  Those who were present with tractors were Henry Eilks, Foster Rowe, George Gabel, Milton Atkinson, Elmer Childs, Albert Thomas and Earl Love.  George Bauerly and Harlan Rowe planted the corn while R. J. Stephens, John Siebens and Cloyde Gabel cleaned up about the barn and other buildings.  It was an interesting sight to see seven tractors of various types and makes going about the field, six of them pulling plows and one following up with a harrow.  Near the close of the day's operations the tractor men decided to settle once and for all the matter of pulling power in tractors of two, four and six cylinders as well as the traction power of lugs of various types as against rubber clad wheels.

Two tractors of exactly the same make and size were put to the test and it was found that the rubber equipped tractor was able to pull a heavier load without slipping or digging in than the tractor with the steel wheel and lugs.

Perhaps the tractor that attracted the greatest attention of the day was the little “grasshopper” owned by A. J. Thomas while the titan sized outfit piloted by Elmer Childs was able to cut the widest swath with its three sturdy plows.

Dinner is Enjoyed

The workers brought their dinner with them and the pastor's wife made a pot of hot coffee to go with the dinner, which was eaten in the spacious social rooms of the church.
Others of the members of the church will cultivate the growing corn and in the fall there will be a “huskin' bee” when all the men and boys will turn out to gather in the year's harvest of golden corn, if it rains enough.

Rev. W. E. Smith is pastor at Plymouth church which is the first religious body ever incorporated in Plymouth County, having been organized on August 11, 1867.  For several years the congregation worshipped in school houses and in 1880 a frame building was erected on the spot where the new church now stands.  Material for the old church was hauled from various points with ox teams and for fifty years it served as a meeting place.  In 1930 the old church was removed and a fine new brick building erected at a cost of about $14,000.  Rev. W. E. Smith is now in his ninth year in this field and lives in the beautiful little manse near the church.

LeMars Sentinel (LeMars, Plymouth County, Iowa) of 05?/??/1937.


PLYMOUTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SUPPER 1944

The annual chicken supper of the Plymouth Presbyterian Church was held Sept. 21, 1944, this annual affair was formerly sponsored by the Ladies Aid and for many years was a great success, but since 1936 the entire church takes a few days off to put on the supper, and it is time well spend, for it creates a spirit of fellowship and socialibility as we work together in the interest of the church.  At the 1944 supper the amount of food used consisted of the following:

Chickens 106

Milk 9½ gal

Pies 83

Cream 13 qts

Potatoes 5 bu

Salad Dressing 8 qts

Butter 14 lbs

Pickles 17 qts

Jelly 40 glasses

Tomatoes 2 bu

Rolls 850

Bread 5 loaves

Sugar 20 lbs

Cabbage 75 lbs

Table waiters and waitresses included Mr. and Mrs. Cloyd Gabel, Daryl Jeffers, Mrs. Lois Seipp, Dean Rowe, Mrs. Lyle Stephens, Mrs. Reuben Vreugenhil, Darrell Rhodes, Francis Collman, Joyce Eilks, Phyllis Remebe, Donna Laws, Mrs. Foster Rowe, Ralph Wendt, Ralph Taylor, Mrs. Lloyd Ewers, Ruth Seibert, Lloyd Miller.  On the reception committee were Rev. and Mrs. Theo. Seibert, and Mrs. Orpha Noble.  Food was prepared by the following: Edith Eilks prepared vegetable, Ethel Rowe and Cecellia Lucken made gravy.  Hope Lucken dished vegetable, Rena Gabel dished gravy, Milton and Vera Atkinson, Dena Taylor, and Earl Love mashed potatoes, Ruth Robertson dished potatoes, Anna Taylor and Carol Siebens dished chicken.  Agnes McDougall and Helen Hoffman made salad and dished it.  Mrs. Darlene Lucken and Dorothy Tone sliced tomatoes and pickles, Mrs. Roy Stephens and Mrs. Mert Gabel dished pie, Lorena Gabel made coffee, Mrs. Queenie Lucken served water, Mrs. Mable Love took care of silver, Glenn Gabel got coffee water, Harlan Rowe and Reuben Vreugdenhil got hard water, Mrs. Bauerly and Myrna Jeffers carried dished, Mrs. Kock and Evelyn Thieges scraped plates, Mrs. Altal Sawin helped.  Wayne Miller carried in soft water.  Henry Lucken took care of garbage, Marian Jeffers, carried silver to Mabel Love.  Sue Carol Jeffers and Disie Vreugdenhil hung out and brought in towels.  Jack Siebens and Harvey Taylor sold tickets, Lyle Stephens, Fred Lucken and Foster Rowe were ushers.  Dish washers were Mrs. Tena Collman, Herman Cock, John Robertson, Abe Miller.  E. P. Miller, Roy Stephens, James Gabel, Sid Locer, Pearl Miller, Violet Miller, Henry Eilks, Lloyd Ewers, Mert Gabel, Jack McDougall and Geo. Miller.  Mrs. Chas. Rowe of LeMars, formerly of this congregation, laundered out dish towels.  The charge was 75 cents a plate for adults.  We served 486 suppers and the sum realized was $420.  Mrs. Frank Jeffers was chairman, assisted by Bess Locer, Mrs. E.P. and Mrs. Abe Miller.

Our first venture was a spring buffet supper in 1922 in the home of Mrs. E. R. Taylor, which was followed annually by strawberry socials and the Ladies Aid then decided to have a chicken supper with great success, our 1945 supper netted us $460. ~Agnes McDougall (signed)


Plymouth Presbyterian Church 1945 annual report (Akron, Plymouth County, Iowa) of 01/??/1945

Good Neighbors Plow 125 Acres For Harlan Rowe

Thirty-four members of the Plymouth Presbyterian Brotherhood, neighbors, and friends of Harlan Rowe gathered Monday at his farm in Washington township for a plowing bee.
Twenty-one tractors were kept busy from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. plowing some 125 acres in a good neighborhood gesture.  In addition some of the land was prepared for p1anting.
Over 20 acres were covered by six spreaders and two manure loaders and one tractor was kept busy discing and dragging the dead furrows.

Mr. Rowe was hospitalized April l6 and has been recovering since then from an operation which has prevented him from doing heavy work.

In addition seven church women and neighbors served lunch and dinner to the men.  A supply of gasoline for the tractors was insured by the presence of Marvin Susemihl and his tank truck who was present from noon on.

Participating in the bee were Milton Atkinson, Cloyde Gabel, Lyle Stephens, Lloyd Ewers, Herman Koch, Tom Ruble, Bob Taylor, Stanley Tindall, E. P. Miller, Werner Bensen, Glen Fulton, Calvin Robertson, Glen Gabel.

James Gabel, John Siebens, Fred Lucken. Henry Lucken. Bud Lucken, Harvey Taylor, Ralph Wendt.

Victor Taylor, Merlin Miller, Clark Tindall, Lloyd Stinton, Leonard Kruse, John Robertson, S. O. Locer, Chester Philips.

Reuben Vreugdenhil, Foster Rowe, Rev Robert Rushing, Roy Stephens, Vernon Buehre and Earl Love.

Women who helped prepare and serve the lunch and dinner were Mrs. Bertsel Brown, Mrs. Robert Rushing, Mrs. E. P. Miller, Mrs. S. O. Locer, Mrs. R. Vreugdenhil, Mrs. Abe Miller, Mrs. Foster Rowe and Mrs. Roy Stephens.


LeMars Semi Weekly Sentinel
(LeMars, Plymouth County, Iowa) of 16 May 1952

 

IAGenWeb

Return to Home Page